Kutenai Art Therapy Institute

Kutenai Art Therapy Institute The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute offers a comprehensive and immersive art therapy training program.

The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute (KATI) is an art therapy school offering a fully accredited, two-year, graduate-level diploma program. Our curriculum embodies the interplay between creativity, land-based practice, and collective care, expressed through transformative education and community service. Students can take the program in one of two formats: campus hybrid or online hybrid. We are located in the beautiful mountain town of Nelson, British Columbia, on unceded Indigenous territory.

Yesterday, we recognized International Women’s Day, a moment to honour the women whose creativity, courage, and care con...
03/10/2026

Yesterday, we recognized International Women’s Day, a moment to honour the women whose creativity, courage, and care continue to shape our communities and the field of art therapy. At Kutenai Art Therapy Institute, we reflected on the many artists, therapists, educators, and students whose work inspires healing, connection, and transformation through the arts.⁠

Many aspects of art therapy has long been influenced by women who have used creativity to explore experience, challenge systems, and support wellbeing for individuals and communities. Their contributions remind us that art can be both a form of expression and a powerful tool for resilience, voice, and change.⁠

International Women’s Day also invited us to reflect on the ongoing work toward equity, inclusion, and recognition for women and gender-diverse individuals in the arts, mental health, and education. Through creativity, collaboration, and community care, we continue to support spaces where diverse voices and experiences are welcomed and valued.⁠

We are grateful for the many women who have helped shape the past, present, and future of expressive arts and art therapy.⁠

REMINDER! Happening tomorrow. 📖 The Golden Salamander: A Celebratory Book Launch⁠⁠Free • Online (Zoom)⁠Thursday, March 5...
03/04/2026

REMINDER! Happening tomorrow.

📖 The Golden Salamander: A Celebratory Book Launch⁠

Free • Online (Zoom)⁠
Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST⁠

Kutenai Art Therapy Institute warmly invites you to an online launch of⁠

The Golden Salamander: Environmental Education and Art Therapy⁠
by Monica Carpendale and Will Crow Parker.⁠

This book is a dialogue between art therapy and environmental education, between mother and son, exploring nature, story, eco literacy, and creative expression. Beginning in winter’s darkness and moving toward the light, it invites us to reawaken perception and respond through art.⁠

Ideal for educators, art therapists, counsellors, social workers, parents, and child & youth care workers.⁠

Join us to hear Monica and Will share insights into the creative process and the ecological heart of this work.

Register at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kati/2085843/r/fb

🌸 Seasonal Open Studio: Spring⁠⁠Online • Zoom⁠Tuesdays, March 24 – April 21, 2026 | 4:00–6:00 PM PT⁠$10 per session⁠⁠Joi...
03/03/2026

🌸 Seasonal Open Studio: Spring⁠

Online • Zoom⁠
Tuesdays, March 24 – April 21, 2026 | 4:00–6:00 PM PT⁠
$10 per session⁠

Join us for a gentle, creative exploration of spring’s themes and sensations. Come for one session or all five. Participants are invited to respond to each weekly theme or create spontaneous art in a supportive, welcoming space. No art experience or special materials required.⁠

🌦 Weekly Themes⁠

March 24 – Clouds & Rain⁠

March 31 – Buds, Bulbs & Blossoms⁠

April 7 – Showers & Rainbows⁠

April 14 – Hatching, Buzzing & Special Deliveries⁠

April 21 – Sunshine & Warmth⁠

This student-led art therapy group is offered as part of a practicum placement and is supervised by a Registered Art Therapist in alignment with Kutenai Art Therapy Institute ethical and educational guidelines.⁠

Join this group with facilitators and Miranda Crabtree and Brita Ralph to pause, notice, create and welcome spring through art. ⁠

Register: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mc3/2090148/r/fb

📖 The Golden Salamander: A Celebratory Book Launch⁠⁠Free • Online (Zoom)⁠Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM P...
02/26/2026

📖 The Golden Salamander: A Celebratory Book Launch⁠

Free • Online (Zoom)⁠
Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST⁠

Kutenai Art Therapy Institute warmly invites you to an online launch of⁠

The Golden Salamander: Environmental Education and Art Therapy⁠
by Monica Carpendale and Will Crow Parker.⁠

This book is a dialogue between art therapy and environmental education, between mother and son, exploring nature, story, eco literacy, and creative expression. Beginning in winter’s darkness and moving toward the light, it invites us to reawaken perception and respond through art.⁠

Ideal for educators, art therapists, counsellors, social workers, parents, and child & youth care workers.⁠

Join us to hear Monica and Will share insights into the creative process and the ecological heart of this work.

Register at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kati/2085843/r/fb

💗 Pink Shirt Day | Choose Kindness. Create Courage. 💗Today we wear pink to stand against bullying, and to stand for comp...
02/25/2026

💗 Pink Shirt Day | Choose Kindness. Create Courage. 💗

Today we wear pink to stand against bullying, and to stand for compassion, courage, and community.

At Kutenai Art Therapy Institute (KATI), we believe that creative expression can help transform harm into healing. Art therapy offers safe spaces where people of all ages can explore emotions, process experiences, and rebuild self-worth through image, colour, movement, and story.

Bullying impacts mental health, identity, and belonging. Healing happens when individuals feel seen, heard, and supported.

🎨 Through art therapy we can:
• Strengthen emotional resilience
• Build self-compassion
• Foster empathy and perspective-taking
• Support safe expression of difficult experiences
• Cultivate inclusive, respectful communities

Pink Shirt Day reminds us that kindness is not passive, it is an active practice. It asks us to notice, to interrupt harm, and to create environments where everyone belongs.

Today, and every day, we invite you to choose words that uplift, actions that protect, and creativity that connects.

💗 When we create together, we build safer spaces together.

🌿 Kutenai Art Therapy Institute Introductory Workshop Series⁠⁠Curious about art therapy?⁠Ready to deepen your creative p...
02/25/2026

🌿 Kutenai Art Therapy Institute Introductory Workshop Series⁠

Curious about art therapy?⁠
Ready to deepen your creative practice in a meaningful, therapeutic way?⁠

Our Intro Series Workshops are designed for student art therapists, helping professionals, artists, educators, and anyone interested in the transformative power of art-making.⁠

✨ No advanced art skills required - just curiosity and openness.⁠

What You’ll Experience⁠

🎨 Foundations of Art Therapy principles⁠
🧠 Experiential art invitations⁠
💬 Guided reflection and group dialogue⁠
🌿 Mindfulness-based and strength-focused approaches⁠
🤝 Supportive, inclusive learning environments⁠

Each workshop blends theory and hands-on creative process so you leave with both insight and practical tools you can apply in your work or personal life.⁠

Why Join?⁠

✔ Explore art as a tool for emotional awareness⁠
✔ Learn foundational art therapy frameworks⁠
✔ Connect with a creative community⁠
✔ Experience KATI’s unique experiential learning model⁠

Calendar link in bio!⁠

🧵✨ Slow Looking, Slow Stitching: A Mindful Art Journey – Online Open Studio ✨🧵⁠⁠Thursdays | March 5 – April 16, 2026⁠10:...
02/24/2026

🧵✨ Slow Looking, Slow Stitching: A Mindful Art Journey – Online Open Studio ✨🧵⁠

Thursdays | March 5 – April 16, 2026⁠
10:00–11:30 AM PT | Online via Zoom⁠

What if you gave yourself permission to slow down?⁠

Slow Looking, Slow Stitching is a 7-week online art therapy group designed to help you pause, observe deeply, and create with intention. Through mindful art viewing and gentle hand stitching, we explore presence, emotional awareness, and self-compassion - one stitch at a time.⁠

No artistic experience needed. This is about process over product, connection over perfection.⁠

🌿 Core Intentions:⁠
• Cultivate presence through slow looking⁠
• Regulate emotions through repetitive stitching⁠
• Deepen self-awareness and reflection⁠
• Foster strengths, hope, and meaning⁠
• Build community in a safe, supportive space⁠

🧶 Materials Needed:⁠
Fabric scraps | Needle & embroidery floss | Scissors | Optional hoop | Notebook⁠

💛 $10 per session or $70 for all 7 sessions⁠

This student-led practicum group is offered under the supervision of a Registered Art Therapist in alignment with KATI’s ethical and educational guidelines.⁠

Register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/br/2067970/r/fb

Join Brita and Thu in the art of Pausing. Stitching. Reflecting. Connecting.⁠

Last chance to register!⁠⁠🌿 LEVEL 2 | Art of Art Therapy Supervision 🌿⁠Deepen your practice. Strengthen your supervision...
02/23/2026

Last chance to register!⁠

🌿 LEVEL 2 | Art of Art Therapy Supervision 🌿⁠
Deepen your practice. Strengthen your supervision. Nurture resilience.⁠

📅 Wednesdays, Feb 25 – Mar 25, 2026⁠
⏰ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST⁠
💻 Online (Zoom)⁠
💲 $495 CAD⁠
📝 Register by Feb. 20⁠

Level 2 builds on the foundations of Level 1 to explore supervision through a strength-based, relational, and arts-informed lens. Designed for experienced supervisors and those who have completed Level 1, this series dives into compassion fatigue, burnout, transference, and resiliency - integrating theory with meaningful creative practice.⁠

✨ In this series, you will:⁠

Develop your theoretical framework as an art therapy supervisor⁠

Explore arts-based supervision methods (response art, post-session art, supervision invitations)⁠

Strengthen cultural humility and create safer supervisory spaces⁠

Work with transference, countertransference & projective identification through metaphor and art⁠

Apply the seven-eyed model within an ecological and relational context⁠

Build strategies for resiliency, self-awareness, and online supervision best practices⁠

🎓 Facilitated by Monica Carpendale - founder of KATI, author, educator, and internationally recognized leader in art therapy supervision with over 35 years of experience.⁠

🌱 Equity Seat Available: One BIPOC registrant receives 50% off per workshop.⁠

Spaces are limited. Join a thoughtful community of practitioners committed to ethical, creative, and sustainable supervision.⁠

👉 Register now to reserve your spot. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/aats/1934201/r/fb⁠

As we move through our daily routines, life in Tumbler Ridge, BC has been abruptly and painfully disrupted. For many, ev...
02/13/2026

As we move through our daily routines, life in Tumbler Ridge, BC has been abruptly and painfully disrupted. For many, everything has changed in an instant. While some are fighting for their lives, others are grieving unimaginable loss.

Our hearts are with the entire Tumbler Ridge community. We extend our deepest condolences to all who have been impacted and to those carrying profound grief and shock.

While nothing can undo what has happened, support and care matter. The Government of British Columbia is offering crisis and recovery resources, and at KATI we would also like to extend our support through online art therapy sessions and services. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/youth-and-family-services/tumbler-ridge

In a month when mental health advocacy is at the forefront, and in times of trauma and loss, creative expression can offer a gentle pathway for processing grief, regulating the nervous system, and finding moments of steadiness. If you or someone you know in Tumbler Ridge could benefit from online art therapy support, please reach out. You are not alone.

https://www.kutenaiarttherapy.com/access-art-therapy

https://www.kutenaiarttherapy.com/calendar

🌿 Rooting In Hope: An Online Art Therapy Group Exploring Eco Grief⁠🗓 Wednesdays, Feb. 25 – April 15, 2026⁠⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM...
02/12/2026

🌿 Rooting In Hope: An Online Art Therapy Group Exploring Eco Grief⁠
🗓 Wednesdays, Feb. 25 – April 15, 2026⁠
⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM PST | 💻 Online⁠
💲 $10 per session | Register for one, a few, or all⁠

Rooting in Hope is a gentle space to land as we explore eco grief, the feelings of loss, distress, and helplessness connected to climate change and our relationship with the natural world.⁠

Through art-making, reflection, and shared witnessing, we’ll nurture resilience, deepen ecological connection, and grow roots of hope together. 🌱⁠

Open to adults 18+. No art experience needed, bring materials you love and come as you are.

This student-led practicum group is facilitated by Miranda Crabtree and Brita Ralph under the supervision of a registered art therapist in alignment with KATI’s ethical guidelines.⁠

To Register: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mc3/2065932/r/fb

🌿 LEVEL 2 | Art of Art Therapy Supervision 🌿⁠Deepen your practice. Strengthen your supervision. Nurture resilience.⁠⁠📅 W...
02/10/2026

🌿 LEVEL 2 | Art of Art Therapy Supervision 🌿⁠
Deepen your practice. Strengthen your supervision. Nurture resilience.⁠

📅 Wednesdays, Feb 25 – Mar 25, 2026⁠
⏰ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST⁠
💻 Online (Zoom)⁠
💲 $495 CAD⁠
📝 Register by Feb. 20⁠

Level 2 builds on the foundations of Level 1 to explore supervision through a strength-based, relational, and arts-informed lens. Designed for experienced supervisors and those who have completed Level 1, this series dives into compassion fatigue, burnout, transference, and resiliency - integrating theory with meaningful creative practice.⁠

✨ In this series, you will:⁠

Develop your theoretical framework as an art therapy supervisor⁠

Explore arts-based supervision methods (response art, post-session art, supervision invitations)⁠

Strengthen cultural humility and create safer supervisory spaces⁠

Work with transference, countertransference & projective identification through metaphor and art⁠

Apply the seven-eyed model within an ecological and relational context⁠

Build strategies for resiliency, self-awareness, and online supervision best practices⁠

🎓 Facilitated by Monica Carpendale - founder of KATI, author, educator, and internationally recognized leader in art therapy supervision with over 35 years of experience.⁠

🌱 Equity Seat Available: One BIPOC registrant receives 50% off per workshop.⁠

Spaces are limited. Join a thoughtful community of practitioners committed to ethical, creative, and sustainable supervision.⁠

👉 Register now to reserve your spot. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/aats/1934201/r/fb⁠

Explore identity, self-compassion, and the art of expressing what lives within.⁠⁠🎁 Self-Exploration Through Collage🎨⁠🗓 W...
02/05/2026

Explore identity, self-compassion, and the art of expressing what lives within.⁠

🎁 Self-Exploration Through Collage🎨⁠
🗓 Wednesdays, Feb 11 – Apr 22, 2026⁠
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM PST⁠
💻 Online⁠
(No session March 18)⁠

Through the accessible medium of collage, this online art therapy group invites you to externalize inner experiences using imagery, metaphor, and symbol. No prior art experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to explore.⁠

📰 Suggested materials: old magazines, newspapers, junk mail, printed images, scissors, glue or tape, paper/cardboard (8.5x11 or larger). Optional: markers, pens, coloured pencils. Use what you have — this is about meaning-making, not perfection.⁠

💲 $10 per session × 10 sessions = $100 total⁠

This student-led group is part of a practicum placement and is supervised by a Registered Art Therapist in alignment with KATI’s ethical and educational guidelines.⁠

To register, please email the facilitator to introduce yourself and receive an access code. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/gr/2054869/r/fb

Facilitated by:⁠
Galadriel Rael – Trauma-informed, strengths-based, integrating positive psychology and the body–mind connection.⁠
Pam Dixon – Inclusive, trauma-informed, integrating natural materials and metaphor.⁠

Address

191 Baker Street 2nd Floor
Nelson, BC
V1L4H1

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kutenai Art Therapy Institute posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Our Story

The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute (KATI) is dedicated to the belief that the creative process is healing and life enhancing. The Institute offers art therapy services to children, youth and adults, an accredited post-baccalaureate art therapy diploma program and professional development opportunities in expressive arts therapies and ecological identity. The KATI program integrates art therapy theory, practice and research. The Institute is situated in the small heritage town of Nelson, BC, and emphasizes an awareness of the therapeutic needs of rural communities, with a focus on training culturally sensitive and responsive art therapists. The program is offered in 2 different formats: a campus program with planned clinical placements; and a distance program with immersive onsite course work and individually established clinical placements in home communities. The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute is a community-based creative program. We are always doing new things: making art, writing books, making movies, putting on workshops, conferences and symposiums. Check out our workshops and events section. Over the last few years we have hosted national and international art and expressive arts therapists. Monica Carpendale, the founder and academic dean, is a published author, film producer, and international presenter.